“Roland glares at Connor and Connor glares back. Then he says what he always says at moments like this."Nice socks."Although Roland doesn't look down right away, it derails him just enough for him to back off. He doesn't check to see if his socks match until he thinks Connor isn't looking. And the moment he does, Connor snickers. Small victories are bet­ter than none.”

“Whoa," Connor Stoll said. "Back up. Zoom in right there.""What?" Annabeth said nervously. "You see invaders?""No, right there—Dylan's Candy Bar." Connor grinned at his brother. "Dude, it's open. And everyone is asleep. Are you thinking what I'm thinking?""Connor!" Katie Gardner scolded. She sounded like her mother, Demeter. "This is serious. You are not going to loot a candy store in the middle of a war!""Sorry," Connor muttered, but he didn't sound very ashamed.”

“Only Ren wasn't smiling. He was eyeing Connor suspiciously.“What?” Connor asked, frowning at the alpha.“That's my sister,” Ren growled.Connor stared at him. “I know. And I love her.”“Great,” Ren said. “But what are your intentions?”“My intentions?” Connor looked from Ren to Adne, frowning.Ren grinned, showing Connor his sharp canines. “When all this is over, you and I have a lot to talk about, too.”

“I know this is your hand now,' she tells him. "Roland would have never touched me like that." Connor smiles, and Risa takes a moment to look down at the shark on his wrist. It holds no fear for her now, because the shark has been tamed by the soul of a boy. No- the soul of a man.”

“So tell us," says Connor, "in The World According to Hayden, when do we start to live?"A long silence from Hayden, and then he says quietly, uneasily, "I don't know."Emby razzes him. "That's not an answer."But Connor reaches out and grabs Emby's arm, to shut him up- because Emby's wrong. Even though Connor can't see Hayden's face, he can hear the truth of it in his voice. There was no hint of evasion in Hayden's words. This was raw honesty, void of Hayden's usual flip attitude. It was perhaps the first truly honest thing Connor had ever heard him say. "Yes, it is an answer," Connor says. "Maybe it's the best answer of all. If more people could admit they really don't know, maybe there never would have been a Heartland War.”

“She let him know how much she liked what he was doing by scoring his back with her nails and crying out with pleasure."Oh, God.""Nay, lass. Connor.”